"Across a distant stretch of water, a traveler journeyed into the boundless distance. Suddenly, as wind swept through the night, the boat's lantern became a bewildered butterfly! The world's prodigies truly were like carp crossing a river."
"Quite a crowd has come for Spirit Hall's Elite Selection Tournament. Who knows who will have the last laugh and seize first place!"
In Spirit City, a woman in green arrived at the tournament registration area. Looking at the line stretching beyond sight, she could not help speaking.
"This Elite Selection Tournament has stringent requirements. It only accepts prodigies under fifteen, and their Soul Power must reach level twenty."
"Being a Soul Grandmaster at fifteen-that condition alone has discouraged many people. There are barely any Soul Masters left."
Dressed in white, Meng Qianqiu arrived belatedly with four others. A vermilion toad about two inches long lay on his shoulder.
"Spirit Hall has a legacy spanning ten thousand years and has always stood at the continent's summit. Its standing even faintly surpasses the two great empires and the Upper Three Sects. Countless Soul Masters scramble to join it, and you and I are no exception."
"You're here for the Elite Selection Tournament too, aren't you?"
"Why don't we get acquainted and become friends?"
Meng Qianqiu spoke slowly, his gaze growing exceedingly gentle. The woman in green before him had caught his attention.
"Oh?"
"You want to chat me up too? Stop dreaming!"
The woman in green shook her head. Her gaze swept over Meng Qianqiu, then settled on the Manggu Vermilion Toad on his shoulder.
"Is this little thing a soul pet you keep?"
Clearly, the woman in green had no interest in Meng Qianqiu, but she was particularly taken with the adorable little Manggu Vermilion Toad.
"It? You could say that!"
At her words, Meng Qianqiu fell silent for a while. He stroked the Manggu Vermilion Toad's head, and Froglet immediately gave an adorable roll of its eyes.
"For its sake, I'll be your friend."
"My name is Ling Yuan. I'm fourteen, my Martial Soul is the top-tier Beast Martial Soul, Lie Yan Rainbow Phoenix, and I'm a level thirty-three Power Attack System Battle Soul Master!"
"Your turn to introduce yourself, my new friend!"
Ling Yuan extended her slender fingers. A trace of Soul Power swept past her fingertips, ripples spread through the air, and a flame quietly rose.
Ling Yuan reached out and stroked the Manggu Vermilion Toad. It did not resist, merely shaking its head gently before washing its face with its little paws.
"My name is Meng Qianqiu. I'm thirteen this year, a level forty-five Power Attack System Battle Soul Master, and my Martial Soul is this little thing right here!"
Meng Qianqiu pointed at the Manggu Vermilion Toad on his shoulder. Under Ling Yuan's incredulous gaze, it nodded gently.
"This little thing is your Martial Soul?"
"It's so tiny. Are you sure you didn't misspeak?"
Ling Yuan's eyes widened. The Manggu Vermilion Toad was extraordinarily tiny and adorably goofy, looking harmless to humans and animals alike, without any fighting ability.
No wonder even Ling Yuan had been fooled by the little fellow.
"Jiang-ang~"
The Manggu Vermilion Toad glared irritably at Ling Yuan. It was very capable, all right? The King of Ten Thousand Poisons! Someone actually didn't know?
"All right, don't be angry!"
"I admit you're strong, okay?"
Meng Qianqiu offered a word of comfort. Clearly, the Manggu Vermilion Toad was sulking again. Someone had actually dared to look down on the King of Ten Thousand Poisons.
"Jiang-ang~"
Only then did the Manggu Vermilion Toad turn back, rolling its eyes at Ling Yuan.
"Our boss's Martial Soul is an External Martial Soul. It can exist independently without relying on a Soul Master and counts as a separate individual."
"Don't underestimate it. It's really powerful!"
Wang Zhan, who treated everyone like an old friend, began explaining things to Ling Yuan!
"So it's an External Martial Soul?"
"Wait, what did you just say?"
"Thirteen years old, with a Soul Power Level of forty-five."
"Hiss~ Are you sure you didn't misspeak? Shouldn't your Soul Power be level thirty-five? How could it be forty-five?"
Belatedly realizing it, Ling Yuan immediately asked.
"Heh~ Let's go!"
"Perhaps you misheard just now!"
Meng Qianqiu did not offer any proof. A thirteen-year-old Four-Ring Soul Ancestor was indeed somewhat dazzling. They would soon be able to verify whether it was true.
"Come here. I'll explain the rules!"
A Red-Robed Bishop stood in the grounds, looking at the long, dragonlike line. He could not help frowning as he began explaining the selection rules.
"The first round, the preliminary test, now officially begins."
"Soul Masters under twelve whose Soul Power has not reached level twenty, please withdraw voluntarily. You do not meet the admission requirements."
"Soul Masters over fifteen whose Soul Power has not reached level thirty, please also withdraw voluntarily. You do not meet the admission requirements."
Spirit Hall's Red-Robed Bishop was a Soul Saint-level expert. Now that he had spoken, the fates of many were settled.
"The requirements are that high?"
"Let's go, let's go. We don't qualify!"
The originally long, dragonlike line lost eighty to ninety percent of its people at once. Many of the Soul Masters here clearly did not meet the admission requirements.
"Good. You've passed the preliminary test!"
"Now please come forward to register and have your age and Soul Power checked."
The Red-Robed Bishop glanced at the line. Those who remained were all promising seedlings, worth cultivating vigorously by Spirit Hall.
"Qian Xunji, nine years old. Martial Soul: Six-Winged Angel. Level thirty-one Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder. Soul Ring Configuration: two yellow, one purple!"
"You meet the admission requirements!"
"You pass! Please rest over here for a moment!"
After seeing Qian Xunji's Martial Soul, the Red-Robed Bishop could not help wiping away cold sweat. Good grief, even the Pope's son had come to participate.
"Xiong Shan, fifteen years old. Martial Soul: Blood Demon Berserk Bear. Level thirty-two Battle Soul Elder. Soul Ring Configuration: two yellow, one purple. You qualify!"
"You pass. This way, please!"
"Ci Xue, fifteen years old. Martial Soul: Pufferfish. Level thirty-four Control System Soul Elder. Soul Ring Configuration: two yellow, one purple. You qualify!"
"Feng Wen, fifteen years old. Martial Soul: Black-Striped Ghost Leopard. Level thirty-five Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder. Soul Ring Configuration: two yellow, one purple!"
"You meet the admission requirements. You pass!"
"Shi Lei, fifteen years old. Martial Soul: Xuanming Sea Turtle. Level thirty-four Defense System Soul Elder. Soul Ring Configuration: two yellow, one purple. You pass!"
Qian Xunji led these four at the very front of the line.
For a time, the five of them truly stole the limelight. At the sight, the other Soul Masters began voicing their amazement.
"Qian Xunji, the Qian Family's young master!"
"The Angel Clan's inheritor, the current Pope's son."
"As expected of His Holiness the Pope's son, with experts gathered around him like clouds. It looks as though the position of Holy Son this time can only belong to Qian Xunji."
Anyone with discerning eyes could tell that Qian Xunji and his team were extraordinarily powerful, practically capable of stringing ordinary Soul Masters up and beating them.
"These people... they're all so strong!"
"It looks like there's no suspense left over Spirit Hall's Holy Son position in this Elite Selection Tournament. We're just going through the motions."
Ling Yuan's beautiful eyes were wide, filled with shock.
"I wouldn't say that!"
"The world's prodigies are like carp crossing a river. Even dragons and phoenixes among men struggle to advance. Isn't it too early to draw conclusions now?"
"You must know, beyond every person is someone greater, and beyond every heaven is another heaven!"
"Cheer up. You shouldn't be so pessimistic about life!"
Meng Qianqiu glanced at Ling Yuan and immediately offered some comfort. He had not expected Qian Xunji to have assembled his core team so early.
"It looks like this Elite Selection Tournament will take some tactics and effort. But that's good too, or there would be nothing worth watching!"
A smile appeared at the corners of Meng Qianqiu's mouth. The stronger the enemy, the more excited he felt. He had also made ample preparations for this moment.
"Let's go have our Soul Power tested!"
"And while we're at it, let's experience the angel inheritor's methods!"
Meng Qianqiu grew increasingly excited. He wanted to see whether Spirit Hall now belonged to all or to one family!
As Pope, what attitude would Qian Daoliu take toward such a situation?
"Appoint the legitimate heir? Or appoint the worthy?"
"Your Holiness, don't disappoint me!"
A thousand thoughts swirled through Meng Qianqiu's mind. He glanced at the distant Pope Hall, secretly making calculations while also trying to fathom Qian Daoliu's thoughts.
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